The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

that could be leveled against me or other party comrades would not be very solid. They canbe easily contested. However, Daoud is not so simple. If he decided to put an end to ourparty, he would need to have more persuasive arguments, evidence of attempting a coupd’etat, for example.”That thought greatly concerned Babrak. He finally understood the feelings of alarmand dread that had been stirred in him since the moment he learned of Khyber’s death. Hepaced across his tiny cell in agitation. “Yes, it’s probably a rigged game, but who is pullingthe strings? Who plotted all of this? Daoud? If it wasn’t his people who murdered ourcomrade—then who? Why did the assassins pick Khyber—not me, not Taraki—but Khyber,to be the victim? Killing Taraki or me would have been just as easy as killing Khyber.”Central Committee member Mir Akbar Khyber was found assassinated on April 17at 7:55 p.m. in the middle of a street leading from the center of the city towards oldMikrorayon, about two hundred meters from the River Kabul. His body was noticed bypolicemen who were driving by. Most likely Khyber had been killed elsewhere before hisbody was dumped in the street. The next day Afghan radio only briefly mentioned theassassination of the prominent opposition politician. The authorities promised tothoroughly investigate this crime. It was clear, however, that the assassins would never befound.Khyber was an ideologue and one of the founders of the PDPA, though he didn’tparticipate in the founding congress. At the time he was a police officer and had no formalright to participate in political activities. He became a member of the Central Committee ofthe Parcham faction two years later, after retiring from the police force. Khyber’s authorityin the party was very high. Even during the worst years of divisions and mutual hostilities74